How I Almost Ended My Life at 6 Years Old

I was always a curious child, full of questions, taking in information especially from the adult world that I didn’t always comprehend. I did love to be read to and had watched the Westerns on TV. One part of the Westerns I was in love with were the horses. That’s a story for another time. But there was something that puzzled me at the precocious age of almost 6. What happened when the bad guys were hung? What did it feel like?

My curiosity almost did to me what it did to the proverbial curious cat. I decided to see what it felt like to be hung. But my understanding of what a hanging entailed was limited, given the sparse information on television about what happened during and after a hanging. Censorship of entertainment was different on such things at that time. Now you see dead bodies hanging from a limb on television you don’t think twice about it.

So for some unknown reason I had a concept of hanging as someone with a rope around their neck. That was as far as I understood. Mother used a clothesline back then to “hang” our clothes on to dry. (Maybe there was a connection between the two kinds of hangings? ). She had carefully knotted it to the swing set at the highest point, far out of my reach (or so she thought) and to the nearby tree. Well, I was tall for my age and could “skin a cat” with the best of them. I also had a talent for untangling things and undoing knots.

Our mother was sorting clothes and preparing to wash a load of laundry. It was at that time that I, being precocious and focused on understanding this concept of hanging, implemented my plan. I stood on the A-frame of our swing set and undid her carefully knotted clothesline just enough to tie around my neck and some to hang with. I had planned to step off the A-Frame and when I felt what this hanging felt like, I would reach with my foot to the seesaw swing and get down.

While actually implementing my plan, there was one major, nearly fatal glitch. I didn’t know that clothes line stretched! I couldn’t get my foot to reach the saving swing!! I still remember reaching desperately with my foot to get out of this scary situation.

Thankfully sister, Dawn although young (about 4 years old), saw me and knew I was in trouble! She ran inside and called down to Moma from the top of the stairs. Moma was about to start the washing machine where she would not have heard Sister’s call for help. But Sister’s timing was perfect!

Moma came running up the steps. After lifting my weight off of the clothesline she still couldn’t loosen the knot which had tightened while my weight was suspended on it. She sat me down on something and ran to get a knife to cut the clothesline off of me!

I was told that I had tiny bruises all around my eyes called petechiae, from the back pressure built up in my blood vessels from the clothesline around my throat.

Thank you, Dawn, for saving my life! Thank you Moma for being so fast on your feet. I am sorry for taking several years off of of your life with that scare!

Never the less I continued to pursue other safer interests after that! My curiosity did not wane. Instead of first hand experiences at least for a while, I asked questions and looked at books.

I too think that your guardian Angels were on heavy duty that day! Glad they were!
Hey, I tried clicking on your name and nothing came up and I noticed that you don’t have a lot of followers yet and you are such a great writer there is no reason for that except that for some reason I can’t pull you up when I click on your name and if you didn’t link your blog address with your gravatar, that would be why.
A friend wrote great instructions about how to do it and I try to share it when I find a good blog that needs a boost!http://nostolencatpictures.com/2013/08/24/gravitar-links/
It’s easy and a must to allow people to find you! I don’t know why wordpress doesn’t explain this when you join it!

Wow! Thank you so much!! I have been tinkering with the site to improve it. I am so glad you told me about this!! Great!

Writing gave me a voice. I was married to a very brilliant man who was a linear thinker. I have so many ideas and writing helps me organize and share. Since his death I am finding that a lot of people seem to enjoy my stories. It feels soooo good to be appreciated!!

Thank you. I think possibly my near death experience made me love life even more. I am so thankful for everything in my life. Thank you, noorainsobiya. I sense a kind and loving person there in you. Hugs!!

It’s a good thing you didn’t try it! I got saved. lol. I was only about 6 years old. Some kids were trying to fly, I just wanted to see what hanging felt like. lol. My poor mother, I know I shortened her life with that scare!